RIVERSIDE — Police forced Occupy Riverside protesters to abandon their makeshift campsite on the downtown pedestrian mall today, in a largely peaceful operation that contrasted with an earlier eviction that led to a confrontation between officers and campers.
Shortly after 6 a.m., around 100 Riverside police officers clad in riot gear flooded the area near Main Street and University Avenue and ordered the occupiers to strike their tents and leave the premises.
The encampment, comprised of a couple dozen tents and about as many people, was set up within a week of police breaking up a camp at the same location, established in mid-October.
Three people were arrested for being public nuisances and resisting arrest after allegedly ignoring officers' commands to leave. They were cited and released from custody a short time later, while their gear was confiscated as evidence, according to Riverside police Capt. Chris Manning.
"We are obligated to ensure the public space is maintained to allow use by all our community members," he said. "The presence of this property limited the general public's use of the space. The removal was in furtherance of this goal."
Some of the dispersed occupiers went to another camp in the parking lot of the Service Employees International Union Local 721 headquarters at 4336 Market St. Others vowed to return to the downtown mall.
City officials have said that, although they respect the occupiers' constitutional right to free speech, they cannot condone taking up residence on a public right of way, which violates Municipal Ordinance 9.04.4. The measure specifies that "no person ... shall occupy any portion of a public way or public place so as to obstruct or interfere with the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic."
The occupiers' tents have generally been on the center of the mall, under trees, leaving a large portion of the walkway clear. The area is fronted by two eateries, a bank and three museums affiliated with the city and UC Riverside.
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